IS Virus: Episode 2 -Getting Ceci on Soki-
by tonbonkittybon
Summary: The next combatant has challenged the world! Sokoto is now a bona-fide pilot! Now quite yet, though. There's still a few kinks he has to iron out.
1. Chapter 1: Awaken, My Spirit!

_IS VIRUS_

_Episode 2: Getting Ceci on Soki_

_Part 1: Awaken, my spirit!_

Flashing back to 13 years ago...

A house in the country side...burning down...

Somehow, all the grass around it dried up.

And to its left, a newly dilapidated wooden windmill and a barn-turned-furnace. Flames bellowing from its every orifice, blood and animals parts littered everywhere, farming tools rubbled deep into the ground.

And to top it all off: an elderly woman was holding a small child by the neck. He struggled to break free of her grasp, but she was too strong. He was crying, wailing, calling for help, but he was all alone with her. She revealed her kitchen knife from her apron. She was about to kill the small child. She was already choking him. His screams eventually silenced. She swung her knife at him...

"AAAAAGH!" Sokoto screamed as he suddenly burst out of the boulder, drenched in sweat. He took five full minutes to recover his breath. Yeah, it was that bad. His eyes were still widened from having his in-dream avatar experience hell in real life. He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to dry his head off and recollect himself. But this was nothing new to him.

"The same dream...over and over again..." He's been struggling to cancel the nightmare's replay function for 10 years, it seems like, "Wonder what it means...such a srtange dream..."

A gentle wind brushed across his hair, finally bringing him back to present day. He stared at the environment around him.

It was a clear morning on a beach that's blanketed in crisp, cool air. A very refreshing sensation that cannot be found anywhere where buildings, lights, and cars litter the atmosphere. The sun's rays welcomed the island into the new day, awakening the nature and wildlife to stimulate the senses. Sokoto opened his heart to the warmth and comfort of the newborn sun, reassuring himself that he will get out of this sticky situation, just like he's always done.

That is, once he processes every single event of yesterday.

Which included the completely unnecessary embrace good god grapple laser string thing what were you thinking.

"Haa, man, hahh..." Sokoto rubbed his forehead in false exhaustion, "I'm overthinking this...let's rewind to scene one and try and sort this out."

He climbed out from the crumbled boulder shelter and began his day like usual. He dunked his clothing in the water and cleaned them out, then laid them on some boulder rubble to dry. He scouted the island for anything he could use as a makeshift spear. He ripped some bark off of a sturdy tree and chaffed off enough to make fifteen frail knives, enough to last him a few weeks. He put his self-learned hunting skills to good use, throwing one knife to the water with incredible velocity. He patiently waited, staring at the spot where the knife struck the water like he was expecting an unwelcome tentacle.

Instead, he saw a blushing spot of muddle darkness. He immediately ran toward the spot, ignoring the added effort needed to trudge through water. He dived own under and retrieved his most recent kill. Actually, kill's'.

"I NO SPEAK ENGURIT, BUT I SELL FISHY VERY NIIIIGH!" He rubbed his first ever double kill in the world's face. He will definitely sleep well tonight. He ran back and grabbed any edible greens he could grab without being poisoned. He swiped some stones and a bunch of tree bark and made a small fire.

Roasted fish on salad, a natural dish, and a very rare delicacy.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" That rare. He hadn't had this in over a year.

After his euphoric meal, he continued tending to his clothes, his body, just about doing anything to take his mind off of the whirlwind of action he thrashed inside last night. When his curiosity finally peaked, he sat on the sand and stared at his new accessories. For half an hour.

"What the heck are you doing on my arm?..." Sokoto asked the charm bracelet, "You don't even have any charms." He turned his wrist to check out the bracelet, but he only found one charm on it. It had a picture of the face of the woman he fought yesterday. "GLEK-What the heck are YOU doing on my arm?!" He tried to remove the charm, but when he touched it, "Yowza!", a 3D projection of the most recent battle with that person displayed from that charm, from the first strike to the last hit. At first, he marveled at the new display replay technology; he saw everything he did, and he looked like a super-powered fighter that could do anything!

Until the grappling hook incident.

"Hey, what-OH! OKAY! OKAY, WE'VE SEEN ENOUGH! TURN IT-OH! OH MY GOD, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!" He whacked the bracelet a few times before it finally shopped the show. "Oh...oh man, I almost puked..."

He stood up to stare at the sun, now shimmering all its glory upon the island.

"I wonder if that woman wants to kill me right now...Heheh, probably tearing up her curtains in anger, I'll bet!"

Actually, no. He's way off target.

She was still sleeping in her bed...flashing back to just 12 years ago.

King's Cross terminal station in the London Borough of Camden. Completely in shambles.

Nothing but fire, glass, metal, and rubble.

The whole building looked like it was trying to contain an inferno. It was a volcano who ruptured its main vent. Inside it was concealed countless dead bodies and shredded trains. All of them burning up.

Almost all of them. Somehow, a lone girl had survived the crash. She was knocked out from the impact of the crash and had just awoken to the sound of a metal bar collapsing outside. When she finally came to, the first thing she saw were two dead bodies, a man and a woman, whose heads were crushed by the debris. She could only look on in curious confusion. And when she finally realized-

"MAMA! PAPA!" Cecilia shrieked in horror as she broke free of the nightmare's grasp, her entire body drenched in sweat. She was panting heavily, almost to the point of hyperventilation. Yeah, her nightmare was that bad. Her eyes were still shaking, her hands were tightly gripping her blanket, and though her brain was functioning fairly well, it behaved as if it was on emergency factory reset mode.

"No...not this again..." Two years since she graduated from the IS Academy, she's been having sporadic visions of the train accident. But this is the first time she got a close-up first look at what actually happened, "Someone...anyone...make it stop..."

"Lady Cecilia?" A maid stepped inside the room right when Cecilia wasn't-

"AAAAAGH!" -expecting...it...huh. "CHELSEA, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?! I COULD'VE HAD A HEART ATTACK!"

"But...we thought you had a heart attack five times throughout your spiritual civil war."

"Huh?!" Cecilia was stunned. Was she screaming throughout her sleep? More importantly, it's past midday! How long has she been out of it?! "Was I...was I really that..."

"It's ok, milady," Chelsea sat beside Cecilia, trying to comfort her, "Everything's been taken care of. We've erased all records of that squabble last night."

"You have?"

"Ah, yes. I though it best since you were so battered up from that struggle."

"That's fine...Tell them I'll be up and about in an hour."

"Will do," Chelsea got up to leave, but before she touched the door-

"Oh, and Chelsea?"

"Yes?"

"Gear up. We're going to train today."

"...Uh, yes, milady." She finally left.

And with that, Cecilia was all alone again. She collapsed back onto her bed, putting her arm on her forehead. She couldn't even tell where she was anymore, let alone what just happened or what happened last night. Who was that blonde-haired, hyperactive homeless bum? Even though he barely had ten minutes with that IS, how was he able to fend off three of the fiercest warriors in Japan? And on a side note, how'd he get both of their ISs to the next stage?! Blue Tears wasn't supposed to have a second shift, so what gives?!

And then, there's...that. That thing that made her fever rise...

"*sigh*...Am I barmy?..."

Fifteen minutes later, she finished her morning routine and headed out to meet Chelsea.

'So, I'm back in the bunker area,' she thought to herself, 'Right, then! Arena 6, I believe...' She wasn't planning on revisiting the Academy like this She had just about finished her tour on duty when she received two recommendations to become a chairwoman of the IS Committee and oversee the construction of the IS Institute near Clifton, Nottingham. But to do that, she'd have to come back to Japan to receive her certificate and become a full fledged member. Problem is, HE happened. That arrogant, freeloading, irritating, tongue-chewing-

"Uh...you're doing it again..."

"I-what?!" Cecilia staggered when one of her colleagues caught her doing the death glare again.

"You're making that face again. You must really hate that guy, don't you?..."

"You wouldn't believe it if I let you see my soul. The way he molested my own flesh without hesitation-"

"Ok, horn dog!" Someone pushed her out of the locker room and into Launch Pad 6-2, "Take out your frustrations on your training dummy, ok?"

After a brief period of outright confusion, she finally settled down and called out her IS.

An aqua aura emitted from her earrings as they glowed. The glow covered her entire body; half a second later, she was in full power.

"Whoa," her operator commented, "How did you evolve the Blue Tears?"

"I'd rather not delve into that topic," Cecilia said before planting her feet on the takeoff platform, "For now, let's start the program." Her operator began booting up the systems, checking status until everything it ready to go. When the green light for launch lit, Cecilia braced herself, "Time off!"

The platform rocketed her into the Arena sky. Before she reached the end, she kept into the air and flew to meet Chelsea in midair combat.

"Are you sure you're up to this, milady?" Chelsea asked her mistress slash best friend, "If you haven't shaken off those awkward feelings yet, you shouldn't bomb-rush yourself into a suicide mission."

"Is that an insult to your master?" Cecilia played along with the word play, "I'll have to teach your how to respect those with supreme authority."

"Not on the battlefield, you won't," Chelsea responded, readying her IS's sabre to attack.

But Cecilia struck first. She immediately sent her two drones after her. They both shot, but Chelsea could only manage to block one hit. She was stunned by the other. Cecilia fired on her. Chelsea took one shot and used its impact to avoid the oncoming fire.

And with that, mistress and maid were locked into a heated battle. All the data recording in the operating rooms was on high alert, as battle specs, inputs, outputs, and all kinds of data were being tracked. Outside, the two best friends were going mad.

Well, just Cecilia. Chelsea was staying calm the whole time. Cecilia, on the other hand...

"Just you wait, you thieving rat! I'll have your head on a golden plaque!"


	2. Chapter 2: The Struggle Begins

_Part 2: The Struggle is Just Beginning_

"COME ON! GET OFFA ME!" Sokoto was tugging on the charm bracelet as hard as he could, but it never snapped. NOT ONCE. It's part of the IS's closed form, but Sokoto doesn't know jack-squat about ISs! "WHY...WON'T...YOU...BUGGER...OOOOOOOOOOOFF-D'OH!" His grip was snapped off, sending his hand backward and the rest of him on the sand.

"Now, what the heck happened there?!" he shouted at the bracelet, "I was holding forward!" And he just noticed his brand new collar, too. "What the deuce?! Why does this keep happening?!" He felt all around his collar, "Oh, thanks a lot! At least I can-" He tried to remove it, but the instant it got off his neck, it wrapped itself around his left arm. The bracelet and collar glowed brightly and the area overtook his entire body. blinding him. When the glow finally disappeared, he could finally see again. He saw himself dressed as the robo-angelic Kagamine Len. "Wait...WHAT?!" He accidentally called the IS out, "IT SENDS ME BACK?!" Then, he proceeded to find a way to call his IS back into collar-and-bracelet mode.

And by find a way, he actually flailed his arms and legs around like an idiot for five minutes. "CRIMINY JICKETS, I'M TRAPPED! I'M DEAD! I CAN'T GET OUT! THERE MIGHT AS WELL BE A 'ROBOTICIZE' BUTTON!" At the end of his ranting, he unwittingly touched his left wrist to his neck, immediately sending his IS back to closed form. He was back to normal now, "Oh, well what flippin' luck..." He plopped back down on the sand exhausted.

"Oy vey...You are gonna be a lot of trouble," he only spent one day with the thing, and already he's tired of being a pilot! "What can I possibly get out of this thing besides flight powers-" Upon uttering the word 'flight', his eyes lit up with shimmering wonder. He suddenly remembered his flashbacks from when he was exploring the compound. Memories of fantasizing about being able to travel anywhere at anytime.

"Now, that's what's up..." He was practically drooling with excitement, but then he realized...the key to realizing his ultimate dream lay on his body. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" He face palmed himself. "Operating you's gonna be so annoying!" He pretended to have a fight with...the bracelet and collar. But he knew that he was the only person on this island. Ain't no was he was gonna get any help anytime soon, especially now that he's a renegade in possibly every corner of the world! He slammed his back down, making a sand angel. He was fighting himself, "Ugh, I must be outta my mind if I think I'm gonna homeschool myself. No, I HAD my fair share of schooling, and believe you me, NONE of it was at all pleasant!" But then, he pondered, "But...that was years ago. Maybe It's gotten better with age?...Oh, screw it. It's not like we're going anywhere, might as well give it another shot."

He sat back up and ripped his collar off, calling out his IS.

"Lemme see the basic data-uh...what are you, in a nutshell?" he ordered. A bunch of text was displayed on his right side:

INFINITE STRATOS GENERATION 1  
SILVER STREAMLINE

"Well..." he declared with the tone of a seriously pissed-off school teacher, "...This is Infinite Stratos...101...Ayayayayyy, what the hell did I get myself into?..."

IS OPERATION: LESSON 1  
-BASIC MOBILITY-

a. GROUND MOVEMENT  
1\. WALKING

"Oh, my...Geeheheheh...Geez, what was I thinking, enrolling into this school?!"

Sokoto was trying to walk in it. HAH! Good luck! He spent a whole hour on this, too! Every step he took, some kind of random gibberish would always escape his mouth! Well, he kind of got used to it afterwards, with the IS as a literal extension of his own body, but still...try walking exactly like how you maneuver your IS, only without the IS. It looks awkward. -PASS: B

2\. RUNNING

Now, do the same thing again. Only running. Trust me, you are going to look like a damn fool! And color me impressed if you manage to hold character throughout the hour long exercise. -PASS: B+

3\. HOVERING

"Ok, so now, I just gotta float over there, right? Simple." Ehh...how is that simple? All you've been doing so far is running, walking, and kicking your feet to blast off.

"Hmm...come on, float!" The IS responded to his command. Slowly, it began to lift itself in the air, "Whoa...this is awesome!" He was a bona-fide novice now. He certainly looks like a formidable warrior! If only the Silver Streamline wasn't the shortest IS in history, but don't tell him that yet. Now, all he has to do is move forward. "Ok, eeeeeeasy..." He envisioned himself moving along a transport conveyor belt in an airline terminal. Two seconds later, he was hovering along a steady stream of whatever. "Hey! I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" Until he got too excited. "Ok, stop. Stop. Hey, hey, hey! What're you doing! The line's back there! No! NO! MY FISH! I'M HUNGRY! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR LEAD LEGS! HEEEEEELLLLLLP!~"  
-PASS: C-

Meanwhile, back on the mainland...

Cecilia and Chelsea were panting heavily. They'd never been this tired after a dogfight! Maintenance Area 6-2 was bustling with operators, technicians, machines, and sweat. Everyone was busy processing all sorts of data.

"Still a top notch shot..."

"And you're as feisty with a knife as ever..."

"Oh, stop your meddling, you arrogant berk..."

"Who are you to demand me, you dozy numpty..."

"Cecilia! Chelsea! You're needed in the lab!"

At the lab...

"Well, both ISs are being optimized for fast movements," a green-haired lady with glasses politely said to them, "but we still haven't been able to determine what exactly the boy's IS is capable of..."

"So, at the moment," Cecilia commented, "he's an enigma..."

"Were you able to decipher any conclusive evidence based on the footage, Yamada-san?" Chelsea asked.

"Well, not really," Yamada said while scratching her head, "All we know is that this IS is really light on its feet, probably to make up for its short stature. But we have been able to make this conclusion."

"Which would be?..."

"Other than that grappling hook, this thing doesn't have any weapons. At all."

"HAA?!" Cecilia and Chelsea screamed in unison. If Chelsea is Cecilia's equal, then that would mean that they got beat by a pint-sized freeloading nut job who can't tell a sword from a lamppost!

*BONK!*

"Oh, quit your whining," a slender woman in a black business outfit said while smacking their heads with her fists, "It's not like you're immune to this sort of balance-of-chaos event." She walked past then to the huge monitor in front of her, "Miss Maya Yamada. I need you over here."

"Oh! Yes, ma'am!" Yamada scurried over to where the woman was standing. The other two pilots just kept silent. Just let them do their work.

*BAM!*

"OOOOOOH, TABANE'S HERE TO-"

*SMACK!*

"Why now, of all times?..." The slender woman face-fisted...whoever just came barging in, "Don't you have anything better to do?!"

Behind them, the door was split in two, slamming Cecilia and Chelsea in the wall. When the door pieces fell, they looked like a pair of cuckoo clocks.

"Nope, not really, Chi-chan!" The girl who was called Tabane cheerfully said, rather loudly, "I just happened by when I heard a distress signal from one of your other friends!" Then, she went and played the footage from the battle like it was a movie.

One of the woman's veins snapped. "Mayaaaa..."

"I-I'm sorry, Orimura-sensei," Yamada tried to bargain with her by pleading not to kill her, "I just-we couldn't do much without the actual-"

"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME WERE YOU THINKING?! I GAVE YOU DIRECT ORDERS NOT TO BRING HER INTO THIS! WHADDAYA DO?! YOU SEND HER A MESSAGE UNDER MY NAME TO SOLVE WHATEVER'S GOING ON, THEN YOU MARCH IN HERE LOADED WITH GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT~"

It's like they forgot there were two pilots in the room. And they don't even know what's happening. Not two minutes ago did an atmosphere of seriousness and dread dominate the room. Now, thanks to Tabane, the girl in the frilly maid dress and rabbit ears, everything's gone in the toilet.

"Who are they, milady?..."

"Tabane Shinonono in the rabbit ears, and Chifuyu Orimura in the-"

Before Cecilia could fully answer, Tabane let out a horrid screech.

"What?!" Yamada rushed to Tabane's side, "What is it?!"

"What's going on?!" Chifuyu asked her.

Tabane could only stare at the screen, eyes wide open, ears up and at 'em, mouth agape.

"I...is that...the..."

The screen was frozen. It showed the battle from the Mermaid's Tears viewpoint, right before the boy collided with it. The IS the boy was using was in full view, right down to the leg guard. Tabane's hand trembled as it slowly stretched its way towards the boy's goggles. She seriously cannot believe what she saw. This is the first time she wore this terrified expression.

"Do you know what it is?..." Chifuyu asked her.

"This...it's defective...I did everything I could to stop its creation, but..."

Oh, crud. There was no such thing as a defective model! She said it herself sometime ago! But to hear that statement come out of the creator's mouth...

"Um..." Chelsea quietly quipped, "...what part of it...was defective?..."

"Everything...down to the color palette..."

Huh? Everything? Weren't ISs supposed to have been developed under extreme surveillance to make sure nothing goes wrong? Under that circumstance, each make and model is supposed to be fully functional, representing the major qualities of whoever made that model. And since each IS was self-learning and had its own strength and weaknesses, it's impossible for an IS to be 'defective'. So, what exactly was Tabane pointing at here? There were plenty of third-party developers, illegal ones as well. Was it a private project? No, because it takes a buttload of resources to even create the mainframe. And 'stop its creation'? Come on, what was it? You didn't like the fact that some developer was a Vocaloid fan? Or maybe they didn't think to bring a ladder while building this thing? The metal too strong or too thin? And speaking of metal, what about its mettle? I mean, you developed all the cores to be fully responsive. You even snuck your way into some failed attempts to replicate your cores. No one on earth could-

...

Oh.

"Tabane?" Cecilia tried to approach her. But she stopped midway.

The rabbit girl bore her fangs in raw anger. This is the first time she's shown this much range of emotion in one day. More so because it's also the first time she broke her character in public.

"Cecilia. Yamada. You're gonna be our rear guard. Chifuyu, Chelsea. Frontline. Who else is there?"

"Um," Yamada stuttered, "well, we could contact them, couldn't we?"

"Does anyone else know about this incident?!" Tabane shouted at the entire room.

"No, no," Yamada tried to clam her down, "It's just us. The ones that fought him are still in Arena 3 hangar."

"Good." Tabane then went to the middle of the table and proclaimed herself as if she was the most decorated general in history, "Listen up, all of you! This is now a Level MAX priority! If that thing gets too wild, we're in for some serious spoiled beefcake! I want all eyes patrolling every single corner of the globe, even the unseen ones! I want that kid 'rassled' down and hogtied, and that IS in ashes! And I want it done without a peep to the outside world! Yes, sirree! We are in Covert Operations, people! This means war! You people better get down to the tass brax, ya hear me?!"

Uh...it's 'brass tax'...Eh, whatever.

"Tabane," Chifuyu said to her, "I'll handle everything in the operations room. You find a way to connect to Ichika without being your usual self, ok?"

"Okie dokie, Chi-chan! Tabane awaaaaaaay!" Tabane twirled away, leaving the others to do their work. But as she was about to exit, she suddenly grabbed Cecilia and Chelsea by the shoulder. "Main hangar. 30 minutes."

They couldn't believe what she said to them. She was always indifferent to everyone besides her close friends, so what was happening here? Was that kid that dangerous?!

"Uh...yes, ma'am..." they silently responded.

"Operation KillKid is in full effect, then." After that, she just disappeared.

"Uh...what just happened, milady?..."

"I'll tell you everything on the way. Come."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"We've got a vendetta to settle."


	3. Chapter 3: I'm Hanging In There! (NOT)

_Part 3: I'm hanging in there!_

"Guh...hhh...hhh...hhh...I didn't know...that walking...could be so exhausting...I feel...like a fat person...who climbed...three steps..."

Sokoto completed his first lesson before the day was over. He managed to walk and run on the ground with his IS. Hovering in motion, on the other hand...That was hard. He could hover forward at a low speed, but whenever he tried to go faster, he always kicked his feet back, which sent him way off course. Well, fortunately, he always knew where the island was relative to his current location, so he knew how to get back. Unfortunately, that process would pad out even more game time than necessary, by means of either tedious carefulness or reckless carelessness.

"Who would hover two centimeters above ground level?! That's like skiing on land! Only stupider!" Says the knockoff that donned a bra on his head for pure entertainment. And yet, he slammed himself on the sand, with a rather loud thud, "Haaaaaagh! I'm hungry! I'm sweaty! I need to cool off!" He put his right wrist on his neck. "Hey, come on! Get back in your standby mode thing whatever!" Still nothing. Then he touched his left wrist to his neck. The IS reverted back to collar-and-bracelet. "Oh, so you only respond to lefties. Well, that's just nice."

While preparing for his next dinner...

"I WANNA BE AT THE INDONESIAN FAIRY TALE! RIDE WITH THE WIND, THROUGH THE BALCONY INSIDE!" (Melody could make a good punk rock tune. Horrible lyrics, though...Or are those misheard lyrics from a foreign song?)

After dinner...

"Guh...OOOOOH, THAT ROASTED FISH SAUTEE THING IS SO GOOOOOOOOOD!" Well, he was clearly enjoying himself, "Man, I am loving this! First time in a while I've been able to relax myself!" Rather, this is the first time he's been away from the mainland. Healy back on the sand. He's never been to an exotic island at all. The gentle swish...swash...swish...swash...the ocean swaying the world ever so tenderly along the current of life...the glorious splendor of the star-lit sky, blemishing all the colors of the rainbow...now this is something you can't get in the city! He closed his eyes to allow the silent sound of the sea and the warm embrace of the wind to rock him to sleep.

"Oh! That's right, I forgot!" He suddenly sat up and called out his IS, "Just one more check before I go to sleep, is all." He repeatedly tapped his goggles, "Let's see...basic mobility, got that...combat capabilities, well, I'm all over them, but it couldn't hurt to explore the entire functionality range...Ignition Boost, huh?...Whoa, that looks like fun! Hyper-wuh...Passive Inertia Control?...Absolute...De...fen...se...

...

...

...

...

...

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! TIME OUT! HANG ON A SECOND! DO I HAVE TO LEARN ALL OF THIS?!"

Well, ya took the class, so...yeah. You have to learn all of this. And apply it, too!

"...aaaaaaAAAHAHAAAAGH!" He called back his IS and laid back down, "I knew this is advanced technology is insane, but come on! Couldn't you come up with simpler names like 'circuit' or 'backdrop' or something or other! Don't make me nuke my brains out to learn all this junk-HAHAHAAAARRGH..."

And with that, he slept once again, this time with the dread of having to master every single bit of this overgrown action figure down to the last digit...

The next day, throughout the daylight hours...

LESSON 1a TEST

"Whoa...holy moly! Whoa! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Sokoto was struggling to maintain a fast pace while barely allowing his robot-toes to touch the ground. He could actually fell each time he scrape the sand beneath him, "Geez, louise! Who asked for a practice session like this?..." You did, needle-mouse head!

He put his feet forward to slow down, then stop. Then, he flattened his feet to cancel the hovering boots and return to walking and running.

This whole process of hovering and grounding continued for an hour. By the end, his buttocks were aching and his hair was actually 'combed' downward from all the sweat he released.

"Hah...hah...hah...LUNCH BREAK!

IS OPERATION: LESSON 1  
a -COMPLETED-

IS GUIDE: LESSON 1  
-BASIC TERMINOLOGY-

a. STANDARD EQUIPMENT (IS REQUIRED)

"What...the heck...is all this?..." Sokoto could not believe his goggles. He simply asked the thing to show him the standard equipment, and it gave him a cursor in the center. He just has to focus the cursor by tilting his head in the exact direction of the object he wanted info on. If it's IS related, it'll tell him all about it. Including details on how to use and not use it. He simply turning his head up and down and all around, every part of his IS could turn into a "Where's Waldo?" themed contest of acuity and coherence! "I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THEY'RE CALLED! I DON'T NEED ALL THIS MUMBO-JUMBO!" You wanted to know what this thing is, you're gonna halfta learn it, buddy.

Now, let's just focus on the stuff that comes standard with any IS...

PASSIVE INERTIA CONTROL  
-A control mechanism incorporated inside all parts of an IS. Inertia in itself is defined as the resistance of any physical object to any change in its state of motion. Passive Inertia Control, or PIC, allows the user to manipulate the inertia of the components of the IS, decreasing the inertia threshold required to lift heavy objects. This will allow free movement of the separate components of the IS, as well as movement of the unit as a whole. PIC will also manipulate the inertia of the entire unit itself, allowing the user quick movements unparalleled by any conventional platform in terms of mobility and flight; this manipulation will also check any shock from impacts from incoming objects and sudden landings or collisions.

"Make...world...stop...spinning..." Sokoto has clearly not been schooled in anything unrelated to survival, light-heartedness, or fighting. "Ohh...ok...ok...I can do this...Huh, free movement...So this, uh...PIC thing...is it on all the time?" He waved his hand, kicked the air in front of him, did all sorts of crazy movements, "I guess so, because without it, this would be really heavy. So heavy, yo mama who's so fat can use this as a bed! ZING!"

SHUT UP!

SHIELDING  
-Primary protection for the IS and its user via energy shield and armor plates.  
-The armor on the IS provides minimal protection against incoming projectile attacks and moderate protection against melee attacks. This IS is equipped with vibranium metalloid plates to provide moderate protection against all attacks directed to the user's body, so even if the attack is deemed non-life-threatening, the attack itself would cause less damage than normal thanks to the armor plating.  
-The energy shield covers the entire surface area of the IS, and utilizes mechanisms similar to that of PIC to nullify any and all incoming attacks. For this reason, the energy shield also bears the name 'Absolute Defense'. However, at the cost of maintaining its integrity under extreme fire, the shield itself suffered energy depletion. As a result, the user and the IS can become injured or damaged if the shield energy is depleted.  
-Although this IS can withstand heavy projectile attacks, the Absolute Defense will not activate for any melee attacks. Therefore, it has two methods of compensating for this weakness: 1. dual-lighting energy conversion, a mechanism that replenishes shield energy using the photon energy from the sun and the reflected light from the moon; 2. the arms and legs themselves, each of which has a separate PIC unit to accompany the main PIC within the IS core, as well as a neural link that gives full control to each part of the user's body, rather than the conventional controls normally found inside the arm pockets.

"Dude...I'm gonna..." Too late. Sokoto fainted from that much text...

Funny how he was able to process all that blah when he woke up thirty minutes later...and he spent the rest of the day and some of the night stomaching all the basic components of his IS into his brain.

The core, Ignition Boost, mandatory unlock, hyper sensor, repair and optimization...Oh, MAN! Did Sokoto have an educational dinner plate the size of Canada, the height of Mt. Everest! At least, that's what it felt like...

Next day...

"Ugh...got 'em all down to memory..." After going over the terms in his head throughout breakfast and morning warm-up, he finally managed to memorize his first vocabulary list. Word and definition. "Why did I even bother with this? HahaaaHAAAGH!"

Maybe because you're a fighter to spirit. And being a fighter means knowing what to use, when to use it, how to use it, and why you're using it. Which would also mean knowing the ins and outs of whatever you're using. It saved your life PLENTY of times before. Might as well make use of it again. And we all know how much you LOOOOOOOVE advanced technology!

"Ok...what am I gonna halfta do next...?"

IS OPERATION: LESSON 1  
-BASIC MOBILITY-

b. AIRBORNE MOVEMENT

1\. SLOW MOVEMENT  
2\. FAST MOVEMENT  
3\. DIRECTIONAL MOVEMENT

"Oh my-heyheyheyhey! WHAAAAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" Sokoto couldn't pin himself on the clouds AT ALL. Anytime he tried to jump into the air, he'd either lose control or accidentally IB himself into oblivion. More often than not, he'd slam into a rock formation nearby, with the IS immediately reverting back to standby mode because it used all of its energy just to keep them both from being flattened into a stack of disgusting shrapnel pancakes. Sometimes, he'd careen off the island and into a nearby ship, attracting a crowd of spectators as they witness the struggle of a man who was slowly succumbing to the haphazard exploits of a par of gauntlets and shin guards. The unnecessarily large wings were no help either!

The only solution he had was to shout his commands. Usually, right before he slammed his head into a wall, he'd yell: "Come on, come on, STOOOOOOOOOP!" The IS would decelerate until it sensed no chance in position, then come to a complete halt. He braced himself for collision every time it happened. "Gggg...huh? Am I dead?..." When he peeked out from under the protection of his IS, he found himself staring at either a blank space or a crowd so lost in confusion that the entire ship sat silenced for the first time ever. It was an easy fix for the space scenario. Not so much for the ship scenario; he'd whip out some witty one-liner, and then command his IS to "get outta here", but the result was different each time he said the command. It would either take too long to get out, leaving himself wide open for an attack from the paparazzi, or it wouldn't take long at all. Too short. Making a spectacle out of his control grab and forcing him to repeat the process all over again.

This was the rest of the day's playdate. By the time the sun came down, however, it was like he had no trouble at all stopping on a dime, bomb rushing from above, or easing up from below. And that was only because of the humiliation he suffered from his 'instructor', the Silver Streamline.  
-PASS: A-

After dinner...

"Hahh...hah...hah...hah...*inhale*...THE GODS HAVE FORSAKEN UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!" Sokoto proclaimed his utter frustration to the stars in the heavens above him. He simply could not comprehend the amount of sweat, aching bones, muscle fatigue, and outright irritation he experienced today. Never in his entire life had a piece of metal tested him so hard like the Silver Streamline. It was comfortably sleeping-uh...OPTIMIZING ITSELF in standby mode while Sokoto himself lay on the sand, panting like a wet dog after a hot day's run and a cold night's shower.

"OH, SHUT UP, SILVIA!" Sokoto screamed at his bracelet, "It's bad enough that you're a plain old stick in the mud for not helping me! But to have the key to the worst teacher of my life choking me and cutting off my circulation to my hands is just...I'M GONNA SMACK YOU!" (The part about choking and cutting off circulation...that's not true.) He immediately ran towards a standing coconut tree and slammed his bracelet on the trunk. "Ha-OOW!" The thing was indestructible! There's no way you can take it off!

*BONK!*

"Ow!" Ahahaahaa! He got hit in the head with a coconut! "Ugh...what the-HEY-"

*BBBBBBBBONK!*

PFFFFTTTTTAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! HE GOT HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A BUNCH OF COCONUTS!

That was more than enough to conk him out for half a day.


	4. Chapter 4: Don't Sweat the Small Change

_Part 4: Don't Sweat the Small Change_

While all that went on, so did this...

"I see..."

"So, it's safe to assume he's had plenty of fighting experience, however informally."

"Well, he can't compare to me, but he's pretty up there."

Cecilia, Chelsea, and Tabane were on the hangar's main deck, discussing the strategy to take down the renegade. Tabane used her rabbit-ear headband to display the footage from the fight, taking note of the boy's fighting styles and strikes.

"He doesn't look like he's running on any nanotechnology," Cecilia commented.

"That's because he isn't," Tabane said in a mocking tone, "Everything he's done is self-learned. But check out his clothes." She zoomed in on his clothing. It was completely grayed out and tattered. "Ripped like a bum on the street!"

"So, has he been fighting all his life?" Chelsea asked, "And if so, how old is he?"

"Hmmm...I'm gonna say he's 13, 14-ish. Though I don't think it matters in the long run."

"Well, why doesn't it matter?" Cecilia asked, "If he's been fighting all his life, then he must have had the experience equivalent to that of a grandmaster!"

"That," Tabane said while replaying the moment when the boy managed to dodge an incoming bullet from behind without looking, "and ungodly sensory information processing." All three of them saw it. The way he moved, the way he lunged forward, the way he attacked, the way he dodged...it all had a very rhythmic flow that automatically attuned to the drumbeat of the battlefield. He manipulated the music and created his own song. He did it all with flair. He did it with a smirk that said, 'STEP AWAY FROM THE TURN TABLE, AND LET THE DJ MASTER SHOW YOU HOW IT'S DONE, AMATEUR.'

"No way..." Cecilia's voice was trembling at the video, "He turned my waltz into a...a..."

"Uh-huh!" Tabane rubbed it in her face, "He ruined your waltz and replaced it with a well-executed combination of EDM with tango!" Cecilia comically collapsed in shame... "And check out the stuff he left alone," Tabane said in an oddly seductive tone.

"Impossible!" Cecilia said after viewing the footage of the boy getting hit at certain points, "Those hits...the missiles were to position him for a direct counterattack?!"

"So, he's a performer..." Chelsea concluded, "He's naturally attuned to the mood of all living things, and his inner soul is extremely versatile. Compound that with his flexibility, his constant strengthening-"

"And his continually developing sixth sense which have only recently been scientifically proven..." Cecilia silently reasoned, before her eyes opened wide. "We could be in for some serious trouble. He could become the most dangerous human being on the planet if not restrained..." She suddenly grabbed Tabane by the shoulders, "He could grow to be stronger than Chifuyu! Stronger than you, possibly!"

"That's correct," Tabane said, wafting Cecilia away from her, "Which is why I'm taking you two under my wing until we find the little rascal."

"Taking?..." Chelsea asked.

"You mean, we're..." Cecilia was brimming with confidence all of a sudden.

"I'll meet you on the grass, then!" Tabane strutted out of their sight like she's hot stuff.

"What exactly does she mean, milady?..."

"It means we're going to beat him at his own game."

"Beat him at his...Oh, bother. Are we even ready for this?..."

Outside, on the grass field...

"Fight-o! Fight-o!" Tabane cheered on an invisible crowd, "Who's ready for their first ever broken nail?!"

Cecilia and Chelsea just stood at attention silently as Tabane continued to rally unseen morale. What could this eccentric little girl possibly have in store for these two? Being the creator of the IS must mean that she knows the full mechanics of how to fight with-

*BONK!*

"Oh, come now," Tabane bonked one on their heads without them seeing her! "That's no way to lift your spirits! (If you can even call them spirits.) Come on! Let me see some fire in your eyes! RAWR!"

Double "HUH?"

"Hmm...looks like their not really fit to whip some little kid's ***." Tabane turned away and mocked them out loud, "Whatever, I wasn't too into it anyway." (Liar. You totally freaked out when you saw what he was wearing!)

"I beg you pardon?" They caught a snippet of what just came out of Tabane's mouth. The response was rather...

"Oh, don't tell me. He actually charmed your heart, didn't he? I thought you reserved that for you-know-who." ...sneaky snarky sparky spanky. Well, then! That should get her fire brimming! "Despite coming from a high-class, you enjoy being taunted by those rags in rust, don'tcha? You fantasized about a man just breaking you down. That's why you sneak in those saucy lingerie bait traps underneath your prim and proper noblewoman getup." Switching to smooch-toned smack talk, "And that precious, precious moment when he popped your precious, precious cherry! The way he raped your first kiss! Your knight in shining armor couldn't save you at all! You were just a helpless little girl after all, aren't you?" And turn off the heat to let it simmer! Thirty seconds will yield the best balance of flavor and nutrition.

"And little miss maid couldn't help but watch! She was virtually powerless to do anything!" OH! Hang on, forgot the side dishes. "To think that best friend number 1 couldn't scratch the surface of the scandal! Oh, the horrible memories of low-class living have respond time and again, but you were just too weak! If only you had more power instead of crawling to more and more guys to do the dirty work for you! Oh, the shame of your childhood!"

Tabane, it's ready! Two Churrasco de Lomo to Table 5!

They couldn't take it anymore. The fire brimming in their eyes turned into a raging inferno. Their fists clenched and shook, their teeth bore their first ever fangs, something popped in their heads, their heads fumed smoke...Well, you get the rest. Oh, wait.

"Enjoy your dinner, you two love birds!" Tabane delivered the trigger to the explosion. A loud roar and a punch from both girls was enough to know that she had done her job. Not really. She wanted to watch the explosion last for as long as possible. She grabbed their fists without opening her eyes.

"You done it now, you little *****." Cecilia said through her clenched teeth.

"I'm gonna have some roasted rabbit to go." Chelsea said through her clenched teeth.

They both changed their accents to resemble a cowboy from the American west. Oh, yeah. They were that pissed.

They followed with a straight knee to the torso, but it was easily avoided. They continued with a flurry of punches, kicks, and attempted grabs, most of which involved team coordination to try and land a blow on the rabbit-head.

None of them, however, touched her dress. Tabane was definitely a fighter, and she had no objection displaying her skills as a ninja, being able to swiftly sneak around to the back, just to trip them, knock them off balance, or tear off a piece of clothing that she deemed unnecessary for battle.

Or pluck one of their hairs out, but that only happened twice.

Ironic how they got even faster and more hell-bent on bending her to their will. She still spun circles around them like a provocative psychomaniac. Unfortunately, Cecilia's high-lunch and Chelsea's sweep kick was the last combo move attempted this round. Tabane simply jumped, tilted her body to come in between the attack, and spun. The Lateral Spin, something that only high-level martial artists could successfully perform! They were caught off guard. They stuck their arm and leg out like a lever just waiting to be pulled. Sure enough, her arms popped out of the rabbit vortex and pulled them in briefly. Then, she let go and sent them flying. Oh, she's fine; she managed to stick a pose reminiscent of the crouching tiger. They're ok as well, just suffered some major dizziness and bruises.

Surprise, surprise! Twenty nails broke! Painlessly. Wow, that's a record.

"HA HA HAAAA!" Tabane stood up and triumphantly shouted, "No on can match the great and all powerful Tabane the Genius!" Cecilia and Chelsea were still recovering from the sudden backlash. "And that, my fellow underlings, is the conclusion of Lesson One: Fighting with Fire!"

Looks like they fully recovered. They snapped to Tabane's words as if their heads suddenly exploded.

"Wait-what?! What kind of training exercise was that?!"

"All you did was toss us around like a pair a floppy damp old socks!"

"LA-LALAAA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Tabane plugged her ears and pretended not to hear, "LA-LALA-LALAAALAA!" Oh, I completely forgot about dessert!

Actually, Chelsea kind of had her fill, so she didn't need any dessert. Cecilia, on the other-

"DON'T PLAY THAT GAME WITH US, YOU FLOPPY-EARED, MANKY TROLLOP! SUCK UP THE PLAYACTING AND GET SERIOUS! IF WE'RE GOING TO CATCH THAT NUMPTY, WE NEED TO GET ORGANIZED RIGHT NOW! YAMADA AND CHIFUYU WILL TUNE UP OUR IS'S AND WE'LL CONTACT ICHIKA AND THE OTHERS! YOU'D BETTER HAVE A LEAD ON WHERE THAT KID IS! DON'T WORRY ABOUT OUR TRAINING, WE'LL KNOCK OUT THE KINKS! JUST COME IN WHENEVER YOU WANT TO RALLY UP! AND NEXT TIME, IF YOU WANT TO TRAIN US, ACTUALLY TRAIN UUUUUUUUUS!"

...

...She's paying the bill! Plus a courtesy fine for that temper tantrum!

"Ah...Milady?..."

"WHAT?!"

"A while ago, you were unsure about whether you wanted to train like this, so why are you begging Tabane to be your instructor now?" Chelsea teased.

"GGG...SHUT UP!"

"Click!" Tabane tapped her right bunny ear, "And this one's for the album!"

Cecilia immediately begged Tabane to delete that video.

Ok. What's going on? Ever since the encounter with that kid, she's ben acting strange. Not slightly strange whenever a random man approaches her. Not even the kind of 'strange' when she approaches her man of her dreams. This was a new kind of strange. She's never acted this childish before. Ever. What did that boy trigger inside her? Was it a lost memory, a sudden epiphany, PTSD, what was it?

Cecilia continued her useless struggle against Tabane for a good ten seconds before she stopped to ponder what in the world she was doing. Finally, it got to her thinking nerves! And to answer your question, yes you are. You've been ever since he smacked your lips with his! Seriously! What did you see in that dude?!

"Well, that's not quite how he handled his fights," Tabane crossed her arms in confidence, "Shows how big of a threat we're up against, don't it? Understanding your enemy is the key to victory! You must know your enemy to conquer your enemy!"

Oh, that's what you were alluding to...The kid's a free spirit. He moves like one, he fights like one. He actually feels like he has no boundaries, no limits! He feels like he can do anything!

Hang on a second. No boundaries? That must mean...ok, that's why he's so good.

"Ok, that's it..." Cecilia took a moment to process everything. The recent fight with Tabane, and everything that came with it! She stood up, "I don't think I've had enough yet," she turned to Chelsea, "Mind staying a bit longer?"

"As you wish, milady," Chelsea turned to face her mistress a second time.

"I swear, you two are on your periods today," Tabane shook her head, then left them to their antics knowing that her job is done for today, "I'll let you two get your tampons ready, then! Come back inside when you're no longer red in the face!"

They spend the rest of the day knocking each other up. They needed it, too. It was the first time in a long time that they've actually felt the pressure on their shoulders lighten by the ton. How long have they been able to spend quality time together without interference of personal problems getting in the way? Granted, this isn't the proper way to relieve stress, but as the inevitable looms on the horizon, this is exactly what they needed.

Meanwhile, in Germany...

A brawl in a military compound. A male and a female. Surrounded by soldiers in uniform. The loose gravel kicking up the dust. Sweat and tears with none of the blood.

"KLÄGLICH! NEHMEN ES!" (PATHETIC! PICK IT UP!)

Perfect ingredients for absolute terror in an underground ring. The male throws and pins the female to the ground.

"WAS IST LOS MIT DIR?!" (WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!)

The female uses her legs as leverage to try and escape his trap. On the verge of being choked to death...she suddenly squeezes the crevice of his forearm, trying to make a fist with it. He can't feel his arm anymore! He immediately withdraws, but she catches his arm and tries to swing him over to knock him out. He know what she's trying to do. He flips himself to close the distance over and lands a brutal kick to her torso. She collapses, barely catching herself off the ground, coughing up blood.

"GENUG." (ENOUGH.)

That's it. The fighting's done. She sighs a sigh of relief. He helps her up onto his shoulder and takes her to the infirmary. The ring of soldiers disbands.

It's over...for now.

Inside the infirmary, he watches her tend to her wounds. She is trying to keep a straight face, as if nothing ever happened. He sits by her side,

"Bist du in Ordnung?" (Are you alright?)

"Jawohl. Es geht mir gut." (Yes. I'm fine.)

"Gute. Überanstrengen Sie sich nicht." (Good. Don't overexert yourself.)

"Ich weiß." (I know.)

The curtains burst open, as if to run in fear of the coming of the overlord. Standing in from of them is a young woman. Long silver hair. A crimson red right eye and a gemstone gold left eye,

"Ist sie verletzt?" (Is she hurt?)

"Nein, Kapitän Bodewig." (No, Captain Bodewig.)

"Gute. Lieutenant Markoff wartet auf Sie." (Good. Lieutenant Markoff is waiting for you.)

He gets up and leaves. A moment of silence.

"Captain...have I failed you?..."

The captain slowly walks over to her. She sits by her side.

"And what gave you that idea?"

"Um...nothing." Another moment of silence.

The captain pats her subordinate on her head, "It's nothing you should concern yourself with. So long as you're willing to improve, nothing else matters."

"Ok..."

Someone interrupts the scene-

"Kapitän. Wir haben einen Notruf aus Japan." (Captain. We have a distress call from Japan.)

"Stay here." Captain Bodewig leaves to speak with her commanding officer.

The woman is left alone to wonder what urgent matter has to occupy the Captain's time. The man she fought before walks in.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, but it must be important."

He sits beside her, "Brace yourself. It's going to get ugly really quick."

He was right. Captain Bodewig walked back in, folder in hand,

"Es ist Zeit. Sammeln Sie Ihre Kader und treffen Sie mich in den Besprechungsraum." (It's time. Gather your squads and meet me in the Briefing Room.)

"Jawohl, mein Kapitän!" They both said.


	5. Chapter 5: More Than Just a Machine

_Part 5: The IS is More Than Just a Machine (have 'Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life' ready to play)_

"Hi-YA! HA, HA! RRAGH!" Sokoto woke up and immediately started punching, kicking, and spinning around with his IS. Since he got all his basics down, he thought that this would be a great time to start training for when he encounters that woman again. Or anyone else for that matter. He's had two fights so far. There are definitely more out there, stronger, tougher, and faster than those three beat-necks. "That all you got?! Come on, Silvia! Step it up!" He started calling his IS Silvia since his absolute rage out last night. Truth be told, he's gotten attached to it since their inception as a tag-team duo back at the compound, but it really shows after each day together. Now, he's doing a full-on drill. Without IB'ing off the ground ONCE! Considering he's only had the Silver Streamline for a few days, that's a landmark achievement.

Oh, and he finished off the drill with a jump and a quadruple spin kick plus a sweep kick! And a finishing pose reminiscent of Sailor Moon's salute. Seriously, the dude's a complete mancake and he doesn't even know it.

"Ok, take five!" Sokoto called 'Silvia' back to closed form. Yep, he just learned what the different forms are for an IS. There's only three, though...

Sokoto dipped in the ocean's glimmering surface and swiped some water up his alley. That refreshing feeling of cold water dissipating the overheat in your muscles is enough to reenergize anyone's body. In his case, it gave him three extra mental energy tanks. In he went, out he came. With a rather large fish. He was holding it to the sky like he was offering it as some sort of sacrifice for some obscure religion or something.

Lunchtime...

"MMMMMMMMM-MMM!" This lunchtime was extra savory! The boiling was timed perfectly, the greenery and leaves provided the perfect atmosphere, and the water he managed to freshen up was the crisp, clear taste in a very tasty blessing!

To Sokoto, any meal that tasted much, much better than it normally does...was a sign to move on to another adventure.

"Hmm...feels like only yesterday when I was just walking around the streets of some random neighborhood, sticking my nose in whatever I could find..." He was reminiscing all the memories he had before he met Silvia. Back when he just a toddler on the street, he was practically wandering around aimlessly, gnawing on everything he touched. He had to get tough really fast, because no one was willing to take him in from out the cold, no matter who he asked. Usually, it ended in verbal rejection, but there were some cases where it ended in outright abuse. He always almost dies, but it ends in being saved by some random bum who so happened to be walking past this scene. No, those bums couldn't tend to his wounds; they didn't have no money, let along bandages or rags, just the smallest bit of food they could offer. What were you thinking about?

When he wasn't begging for food or shelter, he was exploring the world around him hoping to find food or shelter. More often than not, he found them, whether it was a sewer line, a bridge, a shady tree, or the open sky itself. He slowly adjusted to the 'belief' that everyone hated him and they would never even spit in his direction. So, instead of sucking it up, he made full use of his 'belief' and made them hate him even more. He was all over the place, sneaking into houses to crash for the night, climbing walls to avoid the deranged maniacs desperate to see his head chopped off, ransacking stores and malls for the pure enjoyment of seeing countless faces twist with rage, etc. Everywhere he went, he pulled a prank. Harmless if no one knew who he was, and humiliating if they were fully aware of his presence. He actually tricked many people into thinking that he was the son of the Joker.

Um, HELLO! SOKOTO IS A BLONDE!

Anyway, he saw more of the world than most people could ever see in a life time, mainly through hitching a ride on freight ships, trucks, cargo planes, port ships, and the good will and kind heart of a very select handful of road-trippers. This was to satiate his natural curiosity. And his impulsive behavior whenever he sees eye candy in the form of an exotic destination. Seriously, the longest he's ever stayed in any one place was this island right here. And he's been stuck on it for merely five days.

"I dunno...I've never been one to stay put for very long at all," Sokoto was talking to his bracelet-collar friend, "I mean, no matter where I go, someplace new pops up in the exact same place I've already been! You can't blame me for being too openminded!" Well, curiosity did kill the cat nine times, and you barely have even one time to live. "Well, whaddaya want me to do about it? It's not like I can go back. I mean, you saw those monstrous banshees back there! They want my hide on a clothesline!" Hey! Whose idea was it to disturb the peace inside that compound, huh?! "I got his map from the old man, see-" It's completely wrinkled and ruined from the sea water. "Drat...he marked this one spot on the map too! I figured it'd be treasure hunt or something!" And what a treasure you found...

Then, he suddenly remembered. His last words with the old man...He turned away, and cops were approaching-

"YEOWZA!" He screamed, "What if he's been unjustly arrested?!" He stopped to think about the old man and the two days he spent with him, always joking around, treating him to meals with the scraps of money he found on the street, even helping him out with his job! He provided entertainment for crowds all over that mall, and he even provided company in his lowly apartment!

_(start the song. Intro)_

"Alrighty, then!" Sokoto said as he stood up to face the horizon, now fully shining its blue motif across the world, punching his left fist towards the sun, "Gear up, Silvia! We attack at dusk!"

_(I know I took the path that you would never want for me. I know I let you down, didn't I?)_  
Back on the mainland, Cecilia and Chelsea were back in their room, discussing the first plan of attack. Since they know the boy will look for something he forgot back in Okinawa, they figured that they should plan a sneak attack to catch him off guard and lure him into a trap.  
_(So many sleepless nights where you were waiting up on me...Well, I'm just a slave unto the night.)_  
They cuddled each others' hands as if this was the last time they would ever see each other again. They looked into each others eyes with a cheerful, yet sorrowful tone. Then, they hugged and wished each other luck.

_(Now, remember when I told you, "That's the last you'll see of me!"? Remember when I broke you down in tears?)_  
In the lab, Chifuyu, Yamada, Tabane, and their staff were finalizing the Mermaid's Tears and Crescendo for their next mission. They all had serious looks on their faces. They had to fine-tune each quality of the IS to perfection to withstand the upcoming threat.  
_(I know I took the path that you would never want for me. I gave you hell through all the years.)_  
Tabane tapped Chifuyu and gave her a comforting look, telling her everything will be ok. Chifuyu could only stare in amazement as to why Tabane would pull this out of her ear. Just then, the door swung open. The two IS pilots were standing at attention. Yamada approached them and pointed them to the hangar, where their IS were waiting for them.

And there they were, kneeling before their masters awaiting their orders.

_(So, I! I bet my life! I bet my life! I bet my life on you!)_  
Cecilia x Mermaid's Tears, Chelsea x Crescendo. IS release sequence  
_(I! I bet my life! I bet my life! I bet my life on you!)_  
They were finally ready to head out to what they now consider unknown territory. They both shouted "TIME OFF!" before joining their comrades in the sky.

_(I've been around the world, and never in my wildest dreams would I come running home to you)_  
Back in Germany, all was silent. The military briefing room was littered with soldiers, officers, and countless papers detailing their target destinations, as well as how to handle this mission so that no one in the general public knows about anything relate to the Okinawa incident.  
_(I've told a million lies, but now I tell a single truth: There's you in everything I do.)_  
The Captain continued to brief her troops on the mission. The rest looked on with determination. Some had uneasy looks on their faces, others were intently listening.

_(Now, remember when I told you, "That's the last you'll see of me!"? Remember when I broke you down in tears?)_  
Everyone was gearing up. The female was strapping on her uniform when the male snuck a charm in her pocket. She turned around, but no one was behind her.  
_(I know I took the path that you would never want for me. I gave you hell through all the years.)_  
She rushed back to her current situation, finished her preparations, and left for a secret war. Not knowing that the charm was a picture of a dove and a swan.

_(So, I! I bet my life! I bet my life! I bet my life on you!)_  
The troops were assembled. Three sections of men and women, few with ISs, the rest with Valkyrie Armor. The Captain sends her final regards to her troops as they prep for launch. One final salute.  
_(I! I bet my life! I bet my life! I bet my life on you!)_  
Helmets on. Guns locked and loaded. Disguised transport vans ready to load. Units aboard, inbound, and in pursuit.  
Everyone takes one last look at the compound as they leave for Japan.

_(Musical Break)_  
The man was sitting against the wall in his prison cell, looking up at the window that allowed the only light in.  
_(Don't tell me that I'm wrong.)_  
He closed his eyes, shielding the tears.  
_(I've walked that road before and left you on your own.)  
_He reminisces about the short two days he spend with that one annoying little kid who wasted his time with stories, jokes, playdates, and pranks.  
_(And please believe them when they say)_  
He opened his eyes,  
_(that it's left for yesterday, and the records that I've played.)_  
"I'm so sorry...I've done all I could for you..."  
The guards come in and take him out.  
_(Please forgive me...for all...I've...done...)_  
Back in the mall lay the balloon and map stand, completely ransacked. Only one balloon survived. It swayed in the wind, still facing the sunset with what little hope it continued to cling onto.

_(So, I! I bet my life! I bet my life! I bet my life on you!)  
_The island lay silent. Not even the ocean swayed. On the beach, Sokoto knelt down on one knee, sending his prayers to the world.  
_(I! I bet my life! I bet my life! I bet my life on you!)_  
When he finished his prayers, he called the Silver Streamline to his side.  
_(Final Musical Break)_  
With one final glance at the island, he bid his farewells to his next portrait in his life scrapbook. Then, he turned to face the sunset. He wore a look of determination, confidence, and bliss. He glanced at his IS. It was gleaming like it will go wherever he goes. Their memories are now one.  
He braced himself for his next adventure. One last declaration:  
"TIME OFF!"  
_(SONG OVER)  
_*BOOM!*

He was gone. The beach was completely ruined. Everything was bent over to make way for the dying light of the sunset. The only thing that survived was a stick figure portrait of a mother, father, and child. In stick figure form.

_IS VIRUS_

_EPISODE 2: END_

_Share with your friends! I don't care if this story gets into the main cannon, but SOMEBODY! PLEASE revive the Infinite Stratos fever!_

_Favorite if you get the references. And there were a LOT of them. Not counting Part 5 because I told you the reference already._


End file.
